Wednesday, February 1, 2017

From ‘On the Wheels’ by Y S Hirlekar

[Yashwant Shankar
Hirlekar’s 6000 miles of cycle travel in India and Sri Lanka in 1935]

…..Portugese Territory ….Goa ……streets are quite full of
bars and toddy shops; and no one here seems to be more sober than when drunk.

Oddly enough the Roman Catholic Churches flourish alongside
the pubs.

……..Gersoppa Falls …..In point of abruptness of fall it is
said to stand foremost in the world.

…..Colombo ……The people are mostly Buddhists. But the advent
of the Portugese has made many Singhalese take to Christian names without
conversion to that faith.

…Ceylon ….The scenery on the highlands is picturesque; but
the tea and rubber plantations make it somewhat monotonous……The workers in
these plantations, which are mostly European concerns, are all Tamilians, as no
Singhalese will work under men of other castes – so independent and proud are
they. Wherever a Singhalese accepts any job, he at once develops the feeling
that he is a manager and begins to issue orders. Sometimes he does not listen
even to his superiors-an attitude that makes him unwelcome as a worker and
brings about his speedy dismissal.

The Singhalese male workers are lazy when compared to their
women. There are several instances of women supporting the idle men from the
fruits of their hard work.

Jaffna ….The people here are practically Tamils….The place
is a Roman Catholic See and missionaries practically control the education.
Hence most of the Hindu boys and girls who attend the Christian colleges get
converted; but the parents have in several instances retained their religion.
The poverty of the people is yet another potent factor in the conversion of a
large number of Hindus here into Christians.